The Dance
by azerath.metrion
Summary: Danny finds himself jealous when Sam's parents force her to date... But is there more to Night than there seems? And will Danny ever work up the courage to ask Sam out himself?
1. Chapter 1

_**The Dance**_

**A Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, _Danny Phantom_

One sunny Saturday in July, Danny Fenton found himself, yet again, embarrassingly immersed in another of his friend Sam Manson's many protests. This time, however, he decided Sam was pushing it too far.

"Ah... Sam?" He asked meekly, glancing sideways at her.

"Yeah?" Sam asked cheerfully, looking at him.

"Um... why are we dressed up like owls and chained to these trees, again?"

Sam sighed. "For the millionth time, it's the 'Save the Owls' protest, Danny. Our costumes represent the endangered species we're trying to protect, and we've chained ourselves to the trees that a couple of owls are roosting in. Maybe the building committee for the new arcade they're going to build here will stop and listen before they kill off at least five endangered animals if there are three outgoing teenagers strapped in their warpath."

Danny grumbled to herself. Tucker Foley, on Sam's other side, whimpered.

"What is it _this _time, Tucker?" Sam asked skeptically.

"That owl just did the unspeakable thing on my head again," Tucker whined. "Why'd you have to tie my hands together?"

"You're wearing a hat, Tucker. Suck it up."

"... Not anymore. The squirrel stole it. About ten minutes ago."

"Oh. Well, it's not like it's going to kill you. Like I said before, suck it up."

"Sam, I have a small rodent's skull sliding down my forehead, and you expect me to _suck it up?!?"_

Danny frowned at them. "Can you guys give it a rest? You've been arguing since six in the morning. Speaking of which, I'm hungry. When can we go eat lunch, Sam?"

Sam spluttered in surprise. "_Leave?_" She demanded. "You mean unchain ourselves and abandon the poor furry owls in this tree just so we can do something as mundane as _eat?"_ Danny sighed.

"It's going to be a long day," he muttered. There was a soft splattering noise from the other side of Sam, followed by more whimpering.

Jazz Fenton was sitting at the kitchen table reading a book of compiled essays about the civil war when she heard Danny slam the front door at ten-thirty that night. Frowning, she went into the livingroom to see what was wrong. Danny, covered in what looked to be owl regurgitation, dirt, and tree bark stomped to the staircase. As he reached it, his stomach growled so forcibly that Jazz could hear it where she stood at the doorway to the kitchen. Wordlessly, she made her way back to make him a couple sandwiches while he took a shower. Placing the finished snack on the table, Jazz patiently waited for her younger brother, dripping wet and in his pajamas, to come down. Danny, sighing and wordlessly thanking Jazz, sat at the table and began to eat.

"Danny, are you okay?" Jazz asked worriedly. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Not really," he grumbled. "Sam roped Tucker and I into another one of her protests... this time it included putting on owl costumes and chaining ourselves to trees in front of irritable bulldozers. Or, at least, the bulldozers showed up eventually. The first part of the afternoon was spent being vandalized by irritable owls."

"Everyone's a critic," Jazz joked lightly. Danny glared at her. Jazz sat down beside him, her smile never faltering.

"Why don't you just tell her that you don't want to help?" She asked kindly. "Sam's a good friend; she won't make you do anything you don't want to."

"But she'll give me that evil look of hers," he reasoned. "Besides, I never said I didn't _want_ to help; I just wish she'd find a less embarrassing part for me to play."

"Well, these protests are very important to her," Jazz murmured, looking at the table. "Maybe she wants her best friends, a.k.a. the other important things in her life, to be part of the big stuff?"

Danny glared at his older sister again as she stood up to get a glass of water. "I hate it when she's right," he grumbled when she couldn't hear. Then, to Jazz, he replied, "Whatever. I'm going up to my room; call me if anything extraordinary happens."

"In this house?" Jazz asked skeptically. Danny ignored her and went upstairs.

Sam stormed into the house, followed by her misunderstanding parents.

"Mom, I'm not going insane! I don't need to go see Dr. Phelps!" Sam screamed angrily.

"But honey, really, chaining yourself to a tree?" Her mother's soft voice asked. "It's barbaric behavior! And what about your friends? They looked terrified! Not to mention the fact that poor Mr. Foley was covered in owl feces."

Sam rolled her eyes. "It wasn't _feces_, Mom, it was _regurgitation_. Owls don't create _feces_." Her mother sighed.

"Please, Samantha," she pleaded, "don't go back tomorrow! I think that a small change in your daily life would be healthy for you."

Sam glared at her parents. "What _type_ of small change? The last time you said that you tried to send me to a boarding school." Her mother winced, remembering the incident; they'd had to buy a new couch, and Fluffy the cat was never the same.

"Not that kind of change, sweetie!" Sam's father piped up cheerily. "We just thought that, you know, a little company for you would be beneficial."

Sam shrugged, beginning the long ascent up the beautiful staircase to the second floor of their mansion and, more importantly, her room. "I have plenty of company. Tucker and Danny. All the company I need."

"Well..." Suddenly Mr. Manson was looking quite nervous. Quite nervous indeed. Sam paused to shoot him a suspicious look before slowly continuing on her path.

"You can't tell me that you'd rather I committed mass homicide on my brain cells by hanging out with Dash and Paulina," she scowled.

"No, Sammy..." Mrs. Manson twittered. Sam stopped in her tracks and spun around to her parents with wide, frightened eyes.

"Uh-oh," she said. "The last time you called me Sammy was when you found out the boarding school was in Guatemala. What is it? I can take it, I swear."

"Well, you see," her mother said gently, absent-mindedly starightening her skirts, "We thought you might need more company. A different type of company."

"Spit it out, Mother," Sam said, narrowing her eyes. It only confirmed her fears that neither of her parents reprimanded her disrespect.

"We were thinking that what you need is... male companionship," her mother finished.

Sam was utterly confused. "Mom," she replied, trying to sort out what her mother had said, "Danny and Tucker _are_ males."

Mr. Manson sighed. "What she means," he amended, glancing at his wife, "is that you need a boyfriend."

Boyfriend. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. The word resounded in Sam's head as she laid in bed that night. After she calmed down (well, after she stopped throwing things, at least) her parents explained that it was nothing personal. They didn't even think she was a late bloomer, they told her soothingly. They just thought that such a normal occurrence as obtaining and maintaining a close relationship with someone of the opposite gender would sort of... straighten her out.

It infuriated Sam beyond all sense. Why else, she reasoned with herself, would she actually be considering going along with it? Her mother had already forbidden her from returning to the owl protest. She had, however, promised to buy the land from the builders in order to make a small owl reservation. Sam sighed and rolled over onto her side. She just couldn't get to sleep, no matter how hard she tried. That stupid B word kept repeating itself. Eventually, Sam got out of bed and made her way over to the computer. Signing online into her instant messenger, she discovered that both Tucker and Danny were on. Pulling up a chat box, she sent them a message.

darkprincess: Hey, guys. What are you doing online so late?

cybernerd: Could've asked you the same thing. We're playing a new RPG Danny found.

dPhantom: Hey, Sam. This game rocks, you should play.

darkprincess: No, thanks. I'm not in the mood.

cybernerd: ... Uh-oh

darkprincess: What?

dPhantom: Whenever YOU aren't in the mood to play (and dominate) an internet RPG with us, we know something serious is up.

cybernerd: what's going on?

darkprincess: Well... my parents weren't too pleased that they had to unchain me from a tree.

dPhantom: NOT BOARDING SCHOOL AGAIN?

cybernerd: That is SO not cool. Though I agree with the tree thing; I think I hocked up a lung earlier.

dPhantom: Ew. Too much, Tuck.

darkprincess: No, not boarding school. It's something... weirder.

dPhantom: Oh, geez. What is it?

cybernerd: woops; you guys will have to fill me in tomorrow, Mom just realized why her phone's not working. She's threatening to dismantle all my electronics.

dPhantom: Ouch. See ya.

darkprincess: Not the loves of your life! Talk to you later, Tucker.

_cybernerd_ has signed off

dPhantom: ... So, are you going to tell me or what? This mutated zombie is kicking my can.

darkprincess: Cry me a river. Well, it's kinda embarrassing, especially since I'm going to have to go through with it.

dPhantom: Can't be THAT bad.

darkprincess: Fine. They think that a boyfriend will make me normal, so they're setting me up on blind dates. Every Friday until I find one I like enough to keep.

dPhantom: ... You're kidding me.

darkprincess: I wish.

dPhantom: Am I allowed to laugh?

darkprincess: Not if you want to keep your vocal cords.

dPhantom: I'm quite attached to my vocal cords, but I think it just might be worth it.

darkprincess: If you're just going to tease me, I'm getting off.

dPhantom: Okay, I'll stop. Just tell me one thing.

darkprincess: Depends. What do you want to know?

dPhantom: Where can I sign up?

darkprincess: Ha ha. Not funny, Danny.

dPhantom: I thought it was.

darkprincess: You would. I'm going back to bed.

dPhantom: sigh Alright. Good night.

darkprincess: 'Night

_darkprincess_ has signed off

_dPhantom_ has signed off

Danny sleepily got offline after Sam had gone and climbed wearily into bed. Sam's news had been unexpected, but not as amusing as he'd thought it would be. It occupied Danny's mind long after the conversation was over. Sam was one of his best friends... No matter what crazy messes she got them into, she always got them out, and it was almost always worth it. Besides... she had helped him through so much. The thought of her actually going on dates was so... uncommon. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like. _**Will** be like,_ he though discontentedly to himself. _Because she said she was going to do it..._ Danny couldn't understand what was going on in his head. He identified the confusion, humor, and even the curiosity. But what was this sharp pang-like throbbing? He'd only felt that way when...

_Oh, no_, Danny thought in dread, burying his head under his pillow. _Don't tell me I'm _jealous_! That's so random... I never thought I had feelings for Sam._

_But... I've only felt this way before when other guys would hit on Paulina or Valerie..._

* * *

Heh. So, yeah, the first chapter of my first Danny Phantom fanfic. Well, I'm already almost finished with the second, so it should be up soon, but I want some feedback first... Anyway, thanks for reading! It's been a while since I had to come up with a completely new type of fanfic... I spent so much time on "The Diary" it feels awkward not to be writing about Inuyasha anymore '. Please review! 


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Dance**_

**Night Time**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, _Danny Phantom_

Sam Manson sat between her parents at her own computer desk, feeling more and more uncertain as they explained the system to her. The System, as her mother liked to call it, was how she was going to find her very first boyfriend. The website on the screen was pink and fluffy, which almost made up Sam's mind to forget the whole thing and choose boarding school instead. The only thing that kept her from doing just that was the fact that she could change the background in her Preferences page; otherwise she'd be packing her bags.

"Ooh, see this, Samantha?" Her mother squealed excitedly, pointing to a small link on the screen. "You can look up other people on the site! Isn't that exciting?"

"Great, Mom," Sam replied meekly. "But what does this stupid thing actually _do_?"

"Well," began her father in a chipper tone, "first you sign up and put in all your information." He clicked on a small link. Looking back at her, he asked politely, "What do you want your screen name to be, sweetie?" Sam considered for a moment.

"Nightmare," she replied. Her father began to type the name in.

"Wait a moment," her mother cut in. Sam sighed. "Why something so morbid, dear? You want to enrapture the boys, not scare them away."

"Fine," Sam replied, scowling, "Just type in Dark Princess. Covers both morbid and disgustingly girly." Her mother smiled, and her father put the name into the computer.

Then Mr. Manson filled out the personal information page, covering her e-mail address, birthday, age, real name, the city she lived in, height, weight, and phone number. After that he made it through the privacy page, which allowed you to hide everything from the personal information page. Then her parents left her to deal with the rest alone. Sam was glad; it was all personal preferences and personality stuff. She never would have met the right guy if they had stayed to influence her decisions. Blearily, Sam looked at the page and answered the questions accordingly.

Finally, she was done. She sent the information to the site database, then logged onto her instant messenger. No one was on, so she quickly logged back off. Bored, Sam went to the phone and dialed Danny's number. It rang three times, then Jazz answered it.

"Hello?" Jazz's eloquent voice flowed flawlessly through the wires. Sam winced; she hated to be anywhere near Jazz. It made it far too easy to compare perfection to patheticness.

"Hey, Jazz, is Danny there?" Sam asked, noticing only all too well how her voice crackled and changed over the lines.

"No, I'm sorry, Sam," Jazz replied. How did she make her sincerity so clear, even through a phone? "He just went to see Tucker. Something about a blind date thing." Her voice conveyed her confusion easily. After a few moments, she asked uncertainly, "Do you know what that was about?"

"Oh, heheh," Sam replied, now perfectly pleased that her emotions were vague. That way Jazz couldn't hear her embarrassment. "No, I've no idea. I'll ask him when I see him, though."

"Sure, thanks."

"Well, I'll talk to you later, Jazz... I'd better go find them. No telling how much trouble those two could get in," Sam said, twisting the phone cord anxiously around her finger.

"Okay, Sam. Bye!"

"Bye."

As Sam hung up the phone, she decided to check her e-mail before she left. She was surprised to find that there were already five responses to her dating profile. Looking over the names, she considered which ones sounded likely. _This guy's name is "2hott4u"... ew, no. "Dragonstrike"? Nah, sounds like a twelve-year-old trying to be cool. Hmm... this one sounds pretty cool. "Night"... simple, yet profound. Well, somewhat. _Sam went to check out his profile.

Reading over it, she was surprised to find that he was also a vegetarian, he had held many protests of his own in the defense of endangered species, and his favorite color was black. _Sounds promising,_ she thought, reading over the rest of his personal preferences. Finally, she went back to her inbox and read his message.

"_Hi, my name's Night. I was just going through the newbies, and... I thought you sound pretty cool. Any chance you'd want to swing by the Nasty Burger with me for a tofu burger this Friday? Message me back, please."_ Sam deliberated for a minute, then hit reply.

She typed, "_Hey, Night. I'm Dark Princess, but you can call me Sam. Thanks for the compliment, you seem pretty cool, too. The Nasty Burger this Friday sounds great. Meet you there at... 6? Message me back."_ Then Sam logged off and headed for the door; she was really excited and wanted to tell Danny and Tucker all about it.

"You're kidding me," Tucker said incredulously.

"That's what _I_ said," Danny replied with a small smile. "She's really going along with it."

Tucker shook his head, replacing the CD he'd been looking at. Noticing this, Danny frowned.

"I thought you really wanted that one," he said idly, gazing at the cover of his friend's favorite band's new album. Tucker only shrugged in reply, moving on to the next rack.

"I did," he replied irritably, "but Mom said that with all my gizmos, I don't need to buy any more CD's since I can just download them now. She's cut my allowance in half; I can barely afford the updates I need to put wireless internet on my new PDA. As it is I'll have to save up for three weeks."

"Harsh," Danny muttered. "At least I won't have to worry about anything like that. I'm about as technologically advanced as the mouse you see running around in the maze looking for cheese." Tucker raised an eyebrow that clearly stated that this was a known bit of information.

Just then the door to the small CD shop opened and the boys turned around to find Sam walking in, her eyes narrowed against the blazing August sun.

Tucker immediately started laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny?" Sam asked as she walked over to them, her eyes glancing quickly from Danny to Tucker. "Am I missing something?"

Tucker snorted and replied thickly through his violent chuckles, "Not really."

Sam turned to Danny, who shrugged; he was just as confused. Finally Tucker calmed down enough to wipe his watery eyes and give a deeply satisfied sigh.

"You want to clue us in?" Sam asked irritably.

"It's just... well... you!" Tucker replied simply, grinning widely. "I can't even imagine you dating! That's not too _normal_ for you, is it?" Sam glared fiercely at him, but Tucker continued unperturbed. "I mean, no offense, Sam, but you're totally lacking in any sort of female attractiveness. No guys in school would date you... what makes you think that anyone in town would date you, then?" Sam didn't say anything for a long time, worrying Danny. Tucker seemed to not realize what he'd said wrong as he went back to looking at CD's.

Then, when she finally stopped shaking and her shoulders slumped slightly, she replied, "No, I know. I'm not attractive." Danny opened his mouth to protest, then shut it sharply before anyone could notice. Why was he suddenly doing and feeling these crazy things? "I'm not pretty, or overly intelligent, or even very fun to be with. I'm sorry."

Tucker, finally picking up on the fact that something was wrong, turned to Sam. She continued sadly, tears starting to brim at the edges pf her eyelids, "I'm not funny, or cute, and I don't use my vast amounts of cash to make people like me." Suddenly the tears began to spill, and Danny realized that she was now more angry than sad. "But at least I'm real!" Sam yelled angrily. "At least I don't try to make people like me! And you know what, you obnoxious pig? I have a date with a really cool guy on Friday already, so just shove your opinions and leave me alone!" And Sam turned on her heel and ran out, crying all the while. Danny and the cashier, who had been drawn out of the back by the shouting, stared disgustedly at Tucker.

Tucker looked around at them and sighed. "Females," he muttered, turning back to the CD's, "what can you do with them?"

The days leading up until Friday were pure torture for Sam. She had been messaging Night for a while now, and she was almost positive that he was perfect. After only a day they upgraded to instant messaging. They had long discussions about controversial issues, like politics, global warming, friends, school, and, to Sam's utter embarrassment, dating. On Thursday night, they were having a normal conversation when he did it.

darkprincess: I'm not sure, Night... it seems to me like the ghosts in _Forever Dead_ are so unreal. You can always tell when they're CG-ing.

moonlessnight: Well, yeah, but the animation's great, you have to admit.

darkprincess: I'll give you that :)

moonlessnight: I mean, it's no Invisi-Bill or anything, but it's still pretty cool.

darkprincess: His name's Danny Phantom.

moonlessnight?

darkprincess: Um... I mean, yeah, I've seen him in action a couple times. Once a passerby called him Invisi-Bill and he got upset. Said his name was Danny Phantom.

moonlessnight: Ah... okay. Anyway, he seems really awesome. Is he really that cool-looking in person?

Sam smiled lightly to herself, remembering Danny's alter-ego. His soft, snow-white hair that blew gently in the wind, his glowing green eyes that showed his power, but also his compassion, his thin, strong body, the uniform he wore... Suddenly Sam mentally kicked herself. _I thought you were over this!_ She thought angrily to herself as she quickly messaged Night back with a definite NO. After a few more minutes of mindless messaging, Night bid Sam good-bye and signed off. Just as Sam was about to do the same, Danny signed on.

dPhantom: Sam? You about to get off?

darkprincess: I was, but I can talk.

dPhantom: Hey, about earlier... I'm sorry. I'm sure Tuck didn't mean it; his mouth seems to have a hole all its own.

darkprincess: Not your fault. Er... a hole?

dPhantom: Well, neither of them have brains, so that's all that's left.

darkprincess: lol! Thanks, Danny.

dPhantom: Hey, no prob. And you know that... nevermind.

darkprincess: Nope, you've already started it. What were you going to say?

dPhantom: Sigh I just wanted to make sure you know that it's not true. You are pretty and smart; Tuck's just known you so long that he doesn't notice anymore.

darkprincess: ... Thanks, Danny. Hey... you've known me just as long; how come you still notice, if all that's true?

darkprincess: Danny? Are you there?

_dPhantom_ has signed off

Danny sighed, covering his face with his pillow. What had he done?

Sam walked nervously into the Nasty Burger. Looking around, she decided that Night couldn't be there yet. The booths were only occupied by Dash's friends and the chess club. Undecidedly, Sam looked around again, then sat at an empty booth in the corner, putting her infrequently used purse on the seat beside her. Sam thought about how her afternoon had gone and grimaced; her mother had been uncomfortably overbearing. Finally, at five, Sam had managed to shake her parents off long enough to think about what she would wear... an even harder task than ditching her mom. Finally, she decided to change her appearance a little, but to keep it casual. So here she was, ten minutes early, wearing her regular purple tights, a full-black skirt, a purple shirt with black trim that had one quarter-length sleeve and one tank top sleeve, and a silver chain bracelet. Her regular black boots had been scrubbed clean, but they were on her feet. After a few more minutes, Sam heard the door open. Looking up, she knew it had to be Night.

He had long red hair that reached down past his shoulder blades, pulled back in a low ponytail, and he wore stylish black sunglasses. His trench coat was black, with several pockets and buttons. Underneath the trench coat he wore a white turtleneck shirt and red pants with black boots, despite the scorching weather. When he walked in, he turned and looked for a moment, then smiled at Sam, who waved.

Slowly he came over to Sam's booth, smiling the whole while. It gave Sam a chance to observe his persona and facial features. His gait was long and comfortable, the stride of a confident person. His nose was long and straight, and his skin was ghostly white. His lips were a light pink, and Sam was itching to remove his sunglasses so that she could see his eye color. When he finally reached the table, he slid into the booth with a grace that would have broken any ballerina's heart.

"Hello," he said with a dazzling smile. "I'm Night. It's wonderful to finally meet you in person... Sam." Night gently lifted Sam's left hand to his lips to grace it with a soft kiss before sitting back in his seat. Sam smiled in return.

"Hello, Night," she said, once she had regained her composure. "It's great to meet you, too. Are you hungry?" Night chuckled softly.

"I'm not hungry for anything more than your company and companionship." Sam almost fainted from pleasure; he was a charmer!

"Thank you," she replied rather breathlessly. To cover the slight blush that was quickly spreading across her cheeks, she said hastily, "I need a drink." As she stood, however, Night quickly put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"No, no, Sam," he said politely, "allow me. I am, after all, the one who asked you here. Please, I will get it." And with that, he was gracefully loping to the counter, while Sam smiled widely at the table, tracing patterns on the tabletop.

Once he was back, he indulged Sam in stories about his life in the private school he attended. Sam laughed at his jokes as she sipped on her diet soda, gazing adoringly at him. When next she checked the time, she was surprised to find that it was already eight-thirty.

"Oh my gosh!" Sam said, quickly standing up. "I've got to go; my mom will go nuts with worry!"

"I'll take you home," Night said worriedly. "I don't want you walking alone this late at night." Sam agreed, and they made their way out to his car.

Once they were at Sam's house, Night walked her to the door.

"Thank you, Sam," he said, smiling at her again. "It has been a... lively evening."

"Thank you for asking me out," Sam replied happily. As she reached for the door handle, Night took her hand and looked at her intently. Though he hadn't taken his sunglasses off all night, she could always tell when he was gazing her as he was now.

"A good-night kiss?" Night asked softly. Sam blushed again, staring back into his glasses.

After a moment of thought, she replied, "For a favor."

Night instantly stiffened. "What favor?" He asked warily.

"Take off your sunglasses so I can see your eyes," Sam replied. She suddenly realized that they were whispering, and she momentarily wondered why. But then Night smiled and removed his sunglasses, and she was, for the moments he allowed her, entirely shocked. But then he was stooping down and kissing her lips, and nothing mattered at all anymore. Only Night, and he was kissing her. Sam was blissfully happy.

But then the kiss ended, and he simply opened her door, pushed her inside the house, and turned back to his car. As Sam looked back at him as she closed the door, she could tell that there was something important she'd been thinking, but couldn't, at the moment, remember what.

She closed the door and went to bed.

* * *

Poor, sweet, misunderstood Sam. I like her character, really... She's awesome. But anyway, so this is the second one... Yes. Teehee. I'm already finished through the fifth, but I'd been having trouble with deviantArt, which means I've been spending far too much time on that one site. (CAN you spend too much time on dA, though?) So, I'll be posting them frequently from now on; not all at one time, so I don't overload anything. Probably one every one or two days while I finish up six and possibly seven. So, yeah... Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! 


	3. Chapter 3

_**The Dance**_

**Declaration of War**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, _Danny Phantom_

Sam woke the next morning in a haze. For a moment she tried to remember how her date the night before had gone, but after a minute she realized that it was useless and instead thought about the conversation she'd had with Danny on Thursday. She was so confused! She thought she had gotten over him, but... It seemed that she was mistaken. And what had he meant, she was pretty and smart? It didn't make sense. He'd never told her that before. And then he didn't answer her, he just logged off... Sam sighed, then sat up.

Feeling a sharp pain in the back of her left hand, Sam looked at it. There was a small patch of dried, cracking skin. With a frown, she dug in the drawer of her bedside table to find a bottle of lotion her mother had given her. Rubbing it into the back of her hand, she got up and dressed. As she came into the kitchen, her mother looked up in surprise.

"Samantha!" She exclaimed. "I thought you'd be up long before now!"

Sam winced as sunlight glared in her eyes through the window. "What time is it?" She asked groggily.

"It's almost eleven, sweetie," her mother replied curiously. "Did you have a nice time last night? You went to bed before we could talk." Sam simply shrugged and stumbled back out of the room, going upstairs to get online and see if anyone was on. To her greatest chagrin, Danny, Tucker, and Night were all on. They bombarded her with messages as soon as they saw her.

darkprincess: Hey, Danny. Tucker. Mind if I add Night to this chat? He wants to talk to me, and it'll be easier...

dPhantom: Night? The guy you went out with last night?

cybernerd: Sure, go for it.

darkprincess: Thanks, Tuck.

_moonlessnight_ has joined the chat

moonlessnight: Sam? Who are these guys?

darkprincess: What? Oh, sorry! dPhantom is my friend Danny and cybernerd is my friend Tucker.

dPhantom: Hi.

cybernerd: What's with you, Danny? You're being extra weird today.

dPhantom: I had a bad day. I had a... problem... with that hobby I have.

darkprincess: You didn't call us?!?

moonlessnight: Sam, we need to talk.

dPhantom: Nice to meet you, too.

darkprincess: Danny! What is it, Night?

moonlessnight: Nevermind. This is too public.

_moonlessnight_ has signed off

dPhantom: Well he's a keeper.

darkprincess: You could've been nicer!

cybernerd: You were both being bogus.

dPhantom: The guy was a jerk! "We need to talk"... "It's too public". Then he gets off without even saying bye!

darkprincess: You did that recently, too! You have no room to talk!

dPhantom: And I'm going to do it again!

_dPhantom_ has signed off

darkprincess: GAH!!! He's SUCH a pain!!!

_darkprincess_ has signed off

cybernerd: ... Aw, man.

_cybernerd _has signed off

Sam screamed into a pillow. Danny was so... Ugh! She just couldn't deal with it right now. Not with all the weird brainlessness she was going through. Sam sighed, fiddling with the tassles on the pillow. Why couldn't he just say what he was thinking every now and then? With another sigh, Sam got up-

-and the phone rang.

Curiously, she went and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hello, Sam," came Night's pleasant voice.

"Hey, Night; how'd you know I was off?"

"I didn't, I just hoped," replied the most wonderful boy on the earth. Sam almost sighed dreamily, but held it back; barely.

"Oh," she replied chipperly, twirling the phone cord around her finger. "Well... what did you need to talk about?"

"You; I need to see you, right now," Night replied urgently.

Sam was alarmed by his tone. "Now? Is something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Night said soothingly, trying to calm her down. It worked.

"Oh... Well, then, what is it?"

"I just... I miss you already."

Sam's heart fluttered. "But we just saw each other last night," she replied, clutching the phone.

"I know," he replied, his voice turning into a slightly whining pout.

This irritated Sam more than it flattered her. "Well, listen, Night, I don't think I can do anything today... I want to go see Danny, he seems really upset about something."

"You don't need to go see him," Night replied, and suddenly Sam was lost in his voice. "You need to come with me to the park. I have a nice, secluded spot chosen for a... picnic. You _will_ come with me."

Sam could only nod, but somehow Night knew.

"Very good," he said, pleased. "I'll pick you up. Go nowhere." Sam nodded again, then there was nothing. Sam hung up the phone and went back to bed; her head was suddenly very muddled again.

Sam sat happily on the blanket, gazing adoringly at Night. He was beautiful, she had to admit... His silky-smooth red hair was perfectly straight, his face angelic. He was saying something, but Sam wasn't paying attention. Then she realized he was asking her a question, and she snapped to attentiveness.

"Huh?" Well, it wasn't a very graceful snap.

Night chuckled, and repeated, "I was just asking about your friend Danny. He seemed... curt. Is he sour or something?" Sam frowned.

"Sour?" She mumbled, fighting through the fog in her head. "No, not sour... he's... um... what's the word? Stressed, that's it. Sometimes he gets really stressed."

"Why?" It was such a casual question; Night wasn't even paying very close attention. But little red warning lights went off all around Sam's head, clearing the smoke and fog from it.

"I don't know," she replied vaguely, picking at the grass. When she looked up again, Night was giving her that look again. Today, as usual, he was wearing his sunglasses. Sam knew there was a reason, a very good reason, but it evaded her... Then Night gently cupped her chin and tilted her head back and kissed her again, and her mind was yet again incapacitated.

"Why is he stressed?" Night repeated softly, barely moving far enough back to allow his lips free movement.

"Um..." Sam's head fought for an acceptable lie. "He's bullied a lot." Not exactly a lie.

"Is that all?" Night's breath smelled so sweet.

"Uh... Not sure," she replied in muddled tones. "I don't think so..."

"What's the other reason, love?" Sam swallowed, her breath coming in uneven gasps.

"Mmm... hobby," she replied uncertainly.

"What hobby?"

"Ah... ghost hunting..."

"Oh," Night sounded pleased; Sam wasn't sure why. "What's his motive?"

Sam realized she had told him, and tried to pull away, fighting off the fogginess. Night held her chin tightly, though.

"Aw, Sam," he murmured, "Do I need to kiss you again?"

"Please don't..."

But it was too late. Night leaned back down, kissing her more deeply and thoroughly. When they finally broke apart, Night had to hold Sam up, otherwise she's simply slump over.

"His motive?" Pressed Night.

Sam was in no condition to fight anymore. "His motive..." she whispered. "Parents... ghost hunters. Danny Fenton... _is_ Danny Phantom..." And then she was out. Night smiled grimly.

"So I've finally found him," the redheaded boy smirked. "I thought so." Then he carried the girl to his car and drove back to town.

Danny sat on his bed, depressed. He had such a rough morning... That ghost! What an obnoxious jerk. He kind of reminded Danny of Night. Danny sighed and laid back on his pillows, staring up at the ceiling. He should apologize to Sam... Just because he'd had a bad day, he had no reason to take it out on her new... boyfriend? A fresh wave of sadness hit Danny as he thought the word. All these new-found feelings for Sam were making his head spin... When would they stop?!? He had realized that he liked her... _Way too much_, he though irritably. But by the time that happened, it was too late. Danny sighed and sat up, momentarily reaching for the phone. Then he changed his mind; an apology this important required face-to-face action. He didn't want to be a coward and say he was sorry from the other end of a telephone line.

Sitting up, Danny pulled on his shoes and went downstairs. Leaving a note of where he was going on the table, he made his way out of the door.

Once he was at Sam's, he realized that there was a strange car outside. Wondering if it was Night, he crept up to the livingroom window and peeked in. What he saw almost made his heart stop; there was Sam, seemingly asleep in a stranger's arms. Her parents sat on the couch, looking worriedly at the sixteen-year-old boy as he explained that Sam had merely overexerted herself and fell asleep in the car. He wouldn't want to wake her, he said.

But Danny recognized the stranger.

He should; after all, he had only been chasing innocent girls around that morning when Danny Phantom blasted his butt. How'd he get back out of the Ghost World so fast?

Danny waited for him to leave before knocking on the door. Mrs. Manson opened it.

"Oh, hello Danny," she said in surprise. "I'm sorry, but Sam's asleep. She seems to have worked herself up a bit."

"Oh, okay, Mrs. Manson, I'll come back later," Danny replied cheerfully. The perfect little boy.

Then, when the door was closed again, Danny went ghost and flew up to Sam's room. After un-ghosting himself, he looked worriedly at her.

Sam's sleep was obviously restless; she fidgeted and muttered to herself, and her eyelids fluttered. For a few quiet moments, Danny simply watched her. Here was his best friend, who had been beside him almost his entire life. She had helped him through everything, and now... Now she was the sick puppet of an even sicker ghost. Rage flared in Danny's chest, and his hands balled up into fists. Glaring at the floor, Danny tried to imagine a world without Sam... and found that he couldn't.

With this realization, Danny reached out to Sam and gently shook her.

"Sam," he whispered. "Wake up." Sam's eyes slowly fluttered open, then closed again. With a small groan, she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Danny?" Sam murmured in a confused voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you, Sam," he simply replied urgently. "Who was the guy you were with today?"

Sam's brow furrowed. "Um... it was... Night. He took me on a picnic."

Danny closed his eyes. He had thought so. "Sam," he continued, looking at her again, "Can you think straight?"

Sam frowned. "No."

"I thought so."

Suddenly Sam reached out and grabbed Danny's shoulder. "Danny," she said sadly, "what's wrong?"

For a minute he could say nothing. Then he grabbed Sam and roughly pulled her into a hug.

"Sam," he whispered, "I'm very sorry." And then he was gone, leaving Sam even more confused than before.

Sam looked at where Danny had been. Had that really happened, or was it a dream? Finally Sam gave up and went back to sleep, deciding to figure it out later.

"I thought I'd find you here," Danny Phantom said coldly, glaring at the boy across the empty room. The old decrepit house groaned around them.

"Only because you followed me," Night responded coolly.

"Perhaps."

"What do you want, Danny Phantom?" Night asked boredly.

"I want you to leave Sam Manson alone. Forever."

Night smiled coldly. "Or you'll do what, Danny _Fenton_?"

Danny didn't reply.

"Sam told me all about you," Night said, taking a small step closer. "How you're bullied. How you're always stressed. What's wrong, Danny, getting too weak to fight ghosts? Or are you defending a girl who's never going to love you? Unrequited love, Danny?"

Danny Phantom laughed. "Mind games may work on girls that you've conned into liking you," he replied angrily, "but not on me."

"Then what are we at? Not an impasse, I'm sure?"

"No," Danny replied coldly again. "If you talk to, message, or even look at Sam's house... I'll come after you. This isn't an impasse. It's a declaration of war."

"So it is," Night replied to the empty air. The legendary "Half-a" was long gone, and Night had to admit...

He was excited.


	4. Chapter 4

_**The Dance**_

**Remembering**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, _Danny Phantom_

Sam walked sleepily and sadly to school on Monday. Danny was nowhere to be seen, and she hadn't talked to Night since Saturday. Tucker had gotten to school early so that he could use the computer lab.

"Sam!" Sam turned to see Danny running happily toward her. Sam smiled; his mood was infectious. Danny stopped just short of his friend, frowning. "Are you okay? You look like you paid some goon to run you over in a monster truck."

"Gee, thanks," Sam replied dryly. "I've just had a bad weekend. And to make it worse, Night hasn't called or messaged me since Saturday..."

"Do you remember anything from Saturday?" Danny asked nervously. Sam couldn't imagine why he was so twitchy.

"No," she replied simply. "I only remember that stupid argument, going to the park with Night, and then waking up at about eight o'clock at night with what felt like a hangover." Danny, to Sam's amazement, let out a sigh of relief.

"Danny," she said dangerously, glaring at him, "What are you not telling me?"

Danny simply shrugged and continued into the school- where he stopped in his tracks.

Sam ran into him, and yelped. "Danny, why are you just standing there?" Inching around him, Sam glared at Danny for a moment, then rolled her eyes and looked inside. And also stopped in her tracks.

The whole school was being overrun by bright pink, yellow, and green posters. Grabbing one off of the row of lockers nearest them, Sam read it, then handed it to Danny, rolling her eyes again. Danny read it and grinned.

"How perfect," he murmured, smiling widely. "This has to be the best idea they've had yet." Sam laughed, despite the fact that she found it to be a stupid idea.

The poster read:

It's Ghost-hunting season!!!

It's also time to have fun! Summer's almost over, and school's already begun.

To celebrate the two events, our high school will be hosting a Ghostly Summer Dance.

It will be held in the school gymansium on Friday, August 15, from 7-10 P.M.

This dance is classified as formal costume, so find your best costume! Prizes will be given out.

What's an easier way to show your ghostly spirit?

Sam waited patiently for Danny to stop laughing. Once he did, she balled the flyer up and threw it in a trashcan.

"Ohh, I can't wait!" Danny said, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "Can you believe it? I suppose that's one way to interepret the haunting of your town... Instead of cowering in fear, let's party!" Danny laughed some more, then sighed contentedly. "This'll be so entertaining."

Sam shook her head, giggling. "Well, I hope you enjoy yourself." Danny frowned.

"You mean you're not going?" Danny asked. Sam thought she caught a hint of disappointment in his tone, but said nothing about it.

"It's a Friday, Danny," Sam explained slowly. "I can't go. I have a date."

"I thought Night hasn't talked to you," Danny said suspiciously.

"He hasn't, but the rules are that I have to have a date every Friday until I get a boyfriend, remember?"

Danny sighed. "Well, then, invite your date to the dance." Sam frowned.

"I hadn't thought of that," she murmured. "That's an idea." Danny nodded enthusiastically.

"But what if Night doesn't want to come?"

Danny stopped to turn and look at her. "You're still going out with him?" Sam was even more shocked to see that Danny was angry now.

"Um, yes?" Sam replied meekly. "I mean, he seems to really like me, and I really, really like him..."

Danny just grumbled something unintelligible and stalked off to class. Sam shook her head in confusion and followed.

That night Danny was sitting at his computer as he came up with the perfect idea. Well, he liked Sam, right? And she had to date a guy every Friday until she found a boyfriend... so why not date him? Smiling softly, Danny went to the website Sam had told him she had joined for the dating service. The System. As he was trying to think of a good name that wouldn't give himself away, he got an instant message.

darkprincess: Danny? You okay?

dPhantom: Huh? Oh, yeah, why?

darkprincess: You've been really stressed out lately. I just thought...

dPhantom: You started it. What did you think?

darkprincess: I was just wondering... if it's Night. You know, if you're not ready for me to date... We've been friends for a really long time...

dPhantom: Is that it? No, Sam, I'm fine with you dating... I just really don't like Night.

darkprincess: You've only spoken to him once!

dPhantom: Well...

darkprincess: Spit it out, Danny.

dPhantom: I don't know. I just don't like him.

darkprincess: Okay. Well, I've got to go- my mom's calling me for dinner. I'll see you at school tomorrow.

dPhantom: Alright, see you later.

_darkprincess_ has signed off

Danny went back to the dating service page. It was pink. Very pink. He hoped he could change that. Finally, he decided on the username Ace. Simple, and something he normally wouldn't use. Just right. Then he spent the next fifteen minutes filling out a seemingly useless survey. He answered them all truthfully, in case they did matter, and then decided to get off for a while. After, of course, looking at Sam's profile and changing the color settings. No more pink.

When he came back two hours later to check on it, he discovered that there were already about six messages waiting for him. One from BFluffy, Wintermoon, Litemicandle, Dancing Diva, Hansel, and Lovemetender each. Danny simply deleted them all and logged off again.

The next few days passed in a blur, but yet again it was Thursday evening, and Danny was anxious.

"Hey, Sam," he whispered in the middle of math class, "Have you talked to Night?"

Sam sighed. "No," she replied miserably. "I miss him... But I have to go on a date tomorrow, so I'm dating some random guy named Asylum. That's his screen name, anyway; his real name is Alex."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Danny said. He didn't mean it, and they both knew it.

Suddenly there was a loud crash and several screams from outside. Looking out the window, Danny saw Night in the school's yard, smiling as he blasted tables and trashcans into oblivion. Anxiously, Danny looked for Sam, but she was stuck behind a crowd and couldn't see out. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to a nearby closet, locking her in it.

"Hey!" Sam shrieked. "Danny!" Danny went invisible and slipped into the closet with her.

"Listen, Sam," Danny whispered quickly, covering her mouth with his hand. "There's something I need to tell you, but now's not the time. Just don't forget and remind me later, and I'll tell you, I swear, okay? But right now is not the time, and I don't want you to find out this way. So stay here, stay safe, and I'll come back for you!" Danny uncovered her mouth andwent ghost, then tried to leave. But Sam had a hold of his wrist.

"Danny, what if you forget about me?" Sam asked nervously. "What if you don't come back for me?"

Danny smiled and took her hand to pry it from his wrist. Giving it a quick squeeze, he replied confidently, "I'll never forget you, Sam; I'll always come back." And then he was gone. Sam just sat in the closet silently as she'd been told, listening to the shrieks going on outside. After a while there was a great booming laughter that sounded oddly familiar, though Sam couldn't quite place it. Then an angry shout that she recognized as Danny, and after a few minutes a ringing silence.

Then a shout so loud and terrible that Sam covered her ears, but to no avail; she still heard the words. And then all was deathly silent on the outside. On the inside, Sam's brain was repeating those shouted words over and over: "I'll have her again, you just wait, Danny Phantom!"

Sam was stil curled up in a ball when Danny found her. He unlocked the door and entered, hot and tired, and collapsed on the floor beside her. Sam sat up and was surprised to discover that she was sitting beside Danny Phantom, not Danny Fenton.

"Danny?" Sam whispered. "You're still ghost!"

Danny sighed and took an effort to become human again, then sat up shakily and leaned against the wall.

"Sorry," he replied breathlessly. "I'm just... really... tired." Sam nodded understandingly.

"Danny..." Sam said nervously, twisting her fingers, "Is there any way... that a, um, you know, ghost... could make you forget things? Like, make your brain all muddled and fuzzy? Just maybe?"

Danny looked at her seriously.

"I think..." Sam whispered, "that was... Night, wasn't it?"

Danny nodded gently.

"Ah."

And then Sam started crying.

"Sam, can you remember everything now?" Danny asked anxiously. "I need to know what happened."

"Yes, Danny, I remember all of it!" Same sobbed. "I'm so sorry!"

And then she told him.


	5. Chapter 5

_**The Dance**_

**Confrontation**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, _Danny Phantom_

"Sam," Danny asked with a frown, "Why are you crying? It's not your fault; he uses his charm to hypnotize girls into giving them information."

"But," Sam sobbed, "I can't help it! I feel like such an idiot!"

Danny smiled weakly at her. He was still tired from the fight; Night was a very powerful ghost. Shakily he sat up straighter and reached for Sam. Sam stared at his arms in confusion.

"Well, normally I'd just give you a hug," he said with a slight blush, "but I think I need your help this time." Sam smiled and crawled, still sobbing, into his arms. Danny wrapped his arms around her and held her as tightly as his weakened arms would allow, patting her hair as Sam cried. As she sat there, a new memory came into her mind. Sam had been getting tired of these, so tired of feeling even worse for each new memory, but this one felt different. Warily, she explored it, and was surprised to find that this was not the first time recently that Danny had hugged her like this. Closing her eyes, she reveled in the memory, feeling every sensation: the sad and helpless look in his eyes as he stared at her that moment before he grabbed her, and the intensity of the embrace... As though wishing he could protect her from the world. Sam opened her eyes again, hugging Danny back fiercely.

Danny, not expecting this, quickly looked down at her in surprise.

"Sam?" He asked hesitantly.

Without looking up at him, Sam said quietly, "Thank you, Danny. For... everything. For trying to fix this without having to hurt me... For not telling me before I could believe. Before I _would_ believe. I owe you... A big one."

Danny shook his head. "Sam, there was nothing else I could do. I can't hurt you; not willingly, anyway. And I couldn't stand the thought of... of arguing with you over something so trivial... when your disbelief would be because of the charms of someone else." Sam nodded, disentangling herself from him. Danny lightly grabbed her wrist, looking into her eyes as he finished, "And you don't owe me anything. Not ever." Sam blushed, then beamed gratefully, wiping tears from her face and eyes.

Sam stood up, grimacing. "Well," she said determinedly, "I started this- I'm going to end it." Danny frowned up at her in confusion. Sam replied his questioning gaze, "No one messes with Sam Manson's heart without permission. And the only ghost that's even allowed close to me is you."

And then she left, leaving Danny alone in the closet, confused and a little pleased.

Sam walked outside and stood up on a table in the front of the school.

"NIGHT!" Sam bellowed angrily. "GET OVER HERE!"

"Oh, such ferocity from one so petite," came a calm voice from somewhere to Sam's left. Turning toward the voice, she found Night lounging beneath a tree, looking at her from beneath his sunglasses, a smirk playing across his face. "So, my dainty flower, you've finally remembered. This part of the game is always my favorite." Night flashed Sam a dazzling smile. "It's always such a wonderful experience to discover how one will respond."

Sam jumped down from the table and stalked toward Night, fury making her muscles tighten and her eyes fierce. "On our first date you only let me see your eyes, your _ghost_ eyes, because you knew your kiss would make me forget." Night stood, smiling.

"True, very true," Night replied. "Then again, I didn't realize you'd know what the glowing green meant- I'd no idea you were so close to the ghost boy."

"And when you kissed my hand, it dried out the skin- did you know it would do that?"

"Yes, it's one of my ways of getting close to you," he replied with a confident shrug.

"Your voice, on the phone... you layered it with your putrid magic, didn't you?" Sam asked, enraged. "Just because I'd said I wanted to spend the day with Danny!"

"What was I to do, Sam?" Night asked with a sigh. "I was hungry, and I had to reinforce the spell I'd put on you the night before. Besides, it was obvious even then that Danny was a danger to me."

"You were _hungry_?" Sam asked incredulously. "You mean you feed off of the auras of _girls_? That's why you asked me out- it didn't matter who I was, as long as I was a willing girl?" Night smiled dangerously.

"Pretty much, yeah," he replied, leering.

Sam glared at him, then stalked up to the ghost and slapped him across the face. Night simply took it as though nothing had occurred.

"So I've betrayed my best friend, the most important guy in the world to me, to a _womanizer?!?_" Sam said contemptuously.

"Glad you think of it that way," Night replied, casually running his fingers through his long red ponytail. "Most chicks have this huge ego problem, they think that they have some sort of special aura, like they're the only ones that I could feed off of. It's quite an advantage, though, when the worst I get is, 'Well, then, no more of my aura for _you!'_ and then they think I'm done. Humans can be so dense."

Sam glared at him. "You're not getting off so easily this time."

Night stopped smiling, then disappeared. Before Sam could even wonder where he was, he reappeared again, floating scant inches away from her, his face on level with hers, though his feet were off the ground and he was in a sort of bowing position. He gently put a finger under her chin and leaned forward, his lips now almost pressed against hers.

"And what, my little black crumpet," he asked in a whisper, "are you going to do about it?" Sam glared at him, ecstatic that her mind remained perfectly lucid.

With a vindictive smile, Sam replied simply, "I'm going to destroy you, you pompous parasite." Night snarled and jumped back, his fist glowing with green ghost power. As he aimed his hand, Sam timed it just right; as he fired she jumped out of the way, and the shot missed. Quickly, she began running as fast as possible toward Danny's house. She passed many bewildered people on the street, who she soon heard screaming and jumping out of the way as a car exploded or a huge hole appeared in the wall of a building.

Finally Sam saw her destination. Diving through the door, she ignored Danny's parents and their questioning looks as she streaked through the kitchen and down to the basement. Grabbing the canister, she took a hiding spot among the mounds of mess and waited calmly. Fairly soon Night was floating silently down through the floor. Looking around, he smirked as he found her hiding spot. Night floated closer, his trench coat billowing slightly.

Just as Sam was about to use the Fenton Canister on him, Night removed his sunglasses and used his full power on her. As his eyes burned into hers, Sam found herself weakening; she fought to maintain her stance.

"My dear, sweet Sam," Night cooed, "Why are you doing this to me? Didn't we have fun? Haven't I been good to you? What makes you want to do this to me?"

Sam fought around the haze in her head. "Evil," she spat sleepily. "Used me... to get to... Danny!"

Night sighed dramatically. "Danny Fenton?" He asked confusedly. "Why would I need to get to him? He's just a meaningless human, isn't he? A friend, yes, but of no consequence to me."

"No," Sam said, a memory burning in her head. "You said he was a danger."

"As Danny Phantom, he is," Night replied, suddenly wary.

"You lie," Sam said, still holding the canister, her mind growing clearer. "You said you knew he was a danger... before I told you he was Danny Phantom." Then it clicked.

"That's not true, Sam, your mind is very cloudy right now," Night said, waving his hand dismissively, though his eyes narrowed.

Sam laughed at him. "That's just it, isn't it?" She spat angrily. "My mind is, by the way, perfectly clear now. So clear that I see your flaw." Night's face got, if possible, even paler.

"Oh?" He asked coldly. "And how is that?"

"Well, you pretty much told me yourself," she replied with a smirk. "You were scared of Danny from the beginning- because you knew I had feelings for him. More than feelings of friendship, like I pretended. You could tell that I'd had them for a long time, and you were worried that he could take me away from you." Night glared at her venemously.

"Well, you know what?" Sam asked acidly. "It doesn't really matter. Because the thing is, I do like him, a lot more than you. And I told him I'm going to end this, so you know what?" And she pushed the button.

Night tried to escape, but the beam from the canister was too strong. It enveloped him and pulled him, screaming furiously, into the body of the canister. Sam closed the lid tightly, panting from exhaustion.

Just then, Danny came running into the room. He was clutching his side and looking around wildly.

"Sam?" He asked between ragged breaths. "Sam, are you... are you in here?" Sam couldn't speak for her breathlessness.

"D... Danny..." Sam managed, before fainting. As she fell, she could hear Danny cry out and stumble over to her before she lost consciousness. He just barely managed to catch her in time before she could hit her head. He gently took the canister from her, then held her in his lap for a while, until he caught his breath. Then he just sat there, gazing at her. Sam's breathing had finally evened out, and she looked peaceful in his arms, as though she were merely sleeping. Which, he reasoned, she probably was; she'd had a long day.

As Danny began to stand with her in his arms to carry her to the living room, the slight glow from the Ghost Portal fell upon her, and Danny was captivated by the beauty it brought out. It made small, undulating waves of green in her black hair, and made the tips of her eyelashes shine. It cast a strange, yet very becoming glow across her face and arms, and accentuated her soft expression. After a slight moment of hesitation, Danny slowly leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips, then quickly sat back up, blushing, though he was the only one who had witnessed his daring move.

Then, pushing away thoughts of what Sam would say had she been awake, he quickly carried her to the living room, where he laid her on the couch as he took the Night-filled canister to drop it over a cliff and into the ocean.


	6. Chapter 6

_**The Dance**_

**Ace**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, _Danny Phantom_

Sam woke up groggily on Danny's couch, looking around for any sign of life. At this time of day, she reasoned to herself, his mother would probably be at the store, his father in the lab eating something, and Jazz was more than likely at the library. But where was Danny? Surely he wouldn't leave her alone after all she'd been through today... Sam shivered, glancing around as though Night's ghost would be hiding in the corner.

_Ironic thought_, she thought irritably to herself. _Night's ghost..._

Sam stood up and made her way toward the kitchen, intending to sit at the table for a while to get her bearings. As she entered the room, however, she found Danny leaning against the counter as he stared through the window. He didn't notice her, at first; he was too deeply engrossed in his thoughts. The sun was just going down, and the last few rays caught on Danny's features like gilt on a portrait's frame. Sam simply stood staring at him, leaning in the doorway. Then Danny sighed a soft, wistful sigh and placed a thin, but strong, hand over his eyes, putting all of his weight on his left arm. Sam couldn't help but notice how the tough, gracefully sinewy muscles stood out slightly.

Just then Danny dropped his hand and turned around, only to stop in his tracks when he saw Sam in the doorway. His blue eyes widened in surprise, then shifted to the side as a tiny blush crossed his cheeks.

"Hey, Sam," he said softly. "Sleep okay?" Sam nodded, then hastily walked over to the window, to look outside.

"It's a beautiful sunset," she said, as though she hadn't just seen it from behind Danny. He nodded.

"Quite beautiful," he murmured. At his tone of voice, Sam turned to him, but he was already looking away. "Are you hungry?" He asked. Sam, feeling a slight rumbling in her stomach, nodded thankfully. "I'll make you a salad," Danny said cheerfully, going to the refrigerator. "I'm pretty sure Jazz picked some up the other day... here it is."

As Danny flitted around the kitchen getting a bowl and fork and dressing for the salad, Sam sat at the table, watching him in wonder. It never dawned on her how much he knew about her before, but now he was fixing her salad like she loved it: Italian dressing, a few croutons, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots... It surprised her when he handed her the bowl and it looked exactly like any salad she had ever made.

"Thank you," Sam said with a smile. Danny smiled in return, then sat at the table next to her as she ate. Sam frowned. "Don't you want anything?" Sam asked him, raising her eyebrows. Danny shook his head.

"No," he replied gently, "I ate earlier... Jazz came home and made lunch for us, but I didn't want to wake you up; you-" Suddenly he stopped, looking away. Sam tried to catch his gaze again, but he wouldn't look at her or finish his sentence. She decided not to induce the "already started it" rule, for which he was extremely grateful. After a few more moments of silence broken only by the crunching of croutons between Sam's teeth, Danny stood up.

"Well, I think I should go get online," he mumbled. "I told Tuck I'd message him when you woke up... How are you feeling?" Sam shrugged.

"Much better," she replied, taking her now-empty bowl to the sink. "Now that Night's gone, my memory's rebooting itself... I don't have anymore black spots about where I've been or what I've been doing." Suddenly she jerked her head upright, gazing at Danny with alarm. "Oh, no- where _is _Night? I put him in the canister, but I don't know where-" Danny quickly walked over to her, gently taking her shoulder and looking her in the eyes to calm her down.

"Shh," he said soothingly. "Calm down, Sam. It's okay." Sam looked up at him, her eyes wide and afraid. Something in Danny's heart wrenched, and he felt a renewed spike of anger at Night. "I took care of it."

"He's back in the Ghost Zone?"

Danny smiled grimly, his eyes narrowed and his eyebrows drawn together. For the first time Sam was almost afraid of him. "No," he replied coldly. "No, he knows how to get back. I left him in the canister, somewhere that he'll be hard-pressed to escape." After making this bold and daring statement, Danny stood there for a while, his chest heaving with pent-up emotion. Sam timidly stretched out a hand to him, resting it on his chest. He jumped at the contact and looked over at her, an almost comical expression of surprise affecting his features. Sam smiled slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"Thank you, Danny," she said quietly. "I'm very grateful... now he won't be able to hurt any other girls. Or their hearts." Danny looked away again, and Sam frowned; when did he suddenly decide to have secrets from her?

"Yeah," he mumbled, nearly inaudibly. "That's why I did it. For other girls." Then he turned back to the hallway door. "I'm going up to my room... Tuck will be worried."

"Can I come, too?" Sam's quiet plea made Danny feel like hitting himself. He forced himself to remember that she'd had a terrible day, and that she didn't know about his internal conflict, and that she had proved her incredible inner strength, which he should honor.

But he really didn't want her to witness this conversation.

Still, he just had to agree when he turned to her and saw her big, sad eyes in that face he knew so much better than his own.

dPhantom: Hey, Tuck; Sam's up. She's sitting here with me now.

cybernerd: Sweet. How's it going, Sam?

dPhantom: Peachy. And you?

cybernerd: Okay. Just a little boring; I can't believe I missed the showdown between Danny and the evil jerk-ness.

dPhantom: I wish I had! And technically, it was between Sam and the uber-arrogant pig.

cybernerd: Oh, yeah. But you gave the final blow.

dPhantom: He's just being modest. He helped me out loads... besides, that wasn't the first time they'd fought.

cybernerd: Um... yeah.

dPhantom: But Sam was so insanely awesome! It was amazing!

dPhantom: Shut up! No, really, you're embarrassing me. You're an embarrassment, Danny Fenton!

cybernerd: ...

dPhantom: Gee, thanks, Sam, so glad you can freely show your appreciation for a friend.

dPhantom: I was kidding! But seriously, 'insanely awesome'? Where'd that come from?

cybernerd: Uh... I'll see you guys later...

_cybernerd_ has signed off

dPhantom: Do you have a problem with my vocabulary now?

dPhantom: What of it?

dPhantom: I can't believe you! One minute I'm saving your life, the next... Hey... where'd Tucker go?

dPhantom: Woops... he signed off. A while ago.

dPhantom: I feel like an idiot.

dPhantom: Likewise.

After the instant messaging occurence, Sam decided it was time to go home. Once Danny had given her a final reassuring hug to see her off, he had gone back up to his room and reconnected to the internet. Danny noticed with a blush that Tucker had not gotten back online, but brushed it off as he typed in the address to the online dating service. Sam's problem with her parents had not yet been resolved, so she still had to use the stupid thing; but she had promised Danny that every time she met a new potential boyfriend he could follow them long enough to ascertain that the potential boyfriend was not an evil ghost bent on sucking her aura. As long, she reasoned, as he kept his distance and was not noticed.

So Danny still had what he thought of as his last chance. His Ace in the hole. Sam obviously couldn't see past the fact that they were friends; otherwise she'd have noticed his apparent ardour for her. But Danny thought that if he could just get on this site, answer every question truthfully, and grab her attention, he might have a chance. Thus thinking so, he went to his profile page and began to alter information.

That night Sam got online to check her dating service stuff. To be honest, she was scared silly that she'd find another Night, but if she didn't she'd probably end up having to date whoever her parents could scrounge up for her.

Ew.

Surprisingly, however, there was only one message in her "interest inbox". It wasn't that she was upset or anything; she didn't like all the attention she'd been getting. And it wasn't as though she thought herself to be attractive, either; it's just that she was used to people constantly asking her if she was new. And other, more interesting and less innocent, questions.

Clicking on the link that would take her to "Ace"'s profile page, she was shocked. Ace was not Goth, nor vegetarian, nor tattooed, as most of the other guys who had been talking to her were. Ace's favorite color was blue, he went to the same school as Sam, and he only had two friends he thought he could really count on. Intrigued, Sam went back to his message. It was rather short and to the point:

"Hi, I'm Ace. Will you go to the Ghostly Summer Dance with me this Friday?"

Sam's reply was also short and to the point:

"What are you, stupid? Of course not!"

After hitting the SEND button, Sam went back to his profile page. She was surprised to find that he had chosen to hide his name from the public. Even she herself had put just "Sam" in the name box. With a mental shrug, she moved down the page. Seeing that he had posted a blog, Sam clicked on the link, and was surprised to discover a short (and very staggering) ramble.

**Ace's Blog- August 9**

Hi. I'm new. My real name is never going to be revealed, so shove it. Anyway, this is pretty much a warning for most of you weird "I'll date whoever" people out there- I don't want to date you. The only girl on this site that I want to date is Dark Princess, and so far she hasn't messaged me back. So don't waste the energy required by your finger muscles to message me, because I won't even reply. Thank you. Have a nice day.

"Thank you, have a nice day"? Sam could hardly believe it. Why on _earth_ did he want to date her? Better yet, why did he expect her to reply in the affirmative? It was insane! And why didn't whoever he was just ask her personally instead of risking other girls' broken hearts on a website? Sam closed the screen and shut her computer down so that she could go to bed, her head still full of questions.

* * *

Yeah, so... I've been working on finishing this one up so I can concentrate entirely on my Ryoko fanfic, but it's been difficult. My computer's such a pain... It keeps restarting itself XP Thanks for reading! I'm going to update the new chapter soon. 


	7. Chapter 7

_**The Dance**_

**Making Conversation**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, _Danny Phantom_

Danny sighed as he opened his message folder to find it empty- again. Leaning back in his chair with a groan, he rubbed his face tiredly. He'd just finished scrubbing his parents' lab, the kitchen, both bathrooms, and the living room in order to convince his mother not to ground him for breaking curfew again. He'd been too busy trying to get rid of the Box Ghost last night to check his watch. It would've been an easy enough fight, except the stupid phantom had gotten ahold of some of the ghost-fighting gadgets littered around the house, and the things were as effective against Danny Phantom as the Box Ghost.

Suddenly a message popped up on the screen: a reply from Sam had just been received. Eagerly, Danny opened it. Scanning the short message, he sighed again and slumped onto the computer desk dejectedly. She'd turned him down. Hitting 'Reply', Danny decided to try out some of his persuasive skills. Figuring that his mistake had been the message format (short, precise, and rather stalker-ish), he tried again, deciding to explain things to her.

"Dear Sam," he wrote in the empty message box, "I'm sorry if I scared you. Let me try again. I know you from school, and even though I'm not sure if you feel the same way about me that I feel about you, I thought it would be stupid not to try. I'm not Goth, vegetarian, or pierced. In fact, I don't even like the idea of a needle getting very close to my skin at all. I admit that I've been included in the many hordes of Paulina fans, but then I woke up. It was quite a long coma. I've liked you for a while now, and I thought that the best way to handle this was to hide who I am and try to woo you before telling you who I am. Like blind dating. I saw you with that Night guy... I guess it didn't work out? I haven't seen you two in a while. Well, the dance idea's still open- and it will be until you say yes. Love, Ace."

Danny had been nervous about signing the message "Love, Ace," but once he thought about it he realized there was no argument; he'd sign it the same if he was sending it to Sam as Danny. Or rather, he would if he had the guts. After clicking the "Send" button, Danny logged off and climbed into his pajamas, then fell into bed. He stared up into the darkness for a while, just thinking. He couldn't get the image of Sam out of his mind; Sam, sleeping on his couch after her ordeal with Night, curled up like a little black cat, her breathing soft and even... Danny had stared at her until Jazz had caught him, and then he'd gone to eat a lunch with his sister, glad that Jazz didn't tease him even once. Sometimes she was the coolest sister in the world.

After a while, Danny drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Sam.

* * *

cybernerd: How are you today?

dPhantom: Ugh... blah. Slept like a baby last night, but I've been so strung out...

cybernerd: Still fantasizing about Sam?

dPhantom: I am NOT fantasizing, Tucker!

cybernerd: Whatever. You still haven't told her?

dPhantom: No, but Ace has.

cybernerd: That's got to be one of the most irrational plans you've come up with yet.

dPhantom: It's going to work. It has to.

cybernerd: Famous last words, Danny...

dPhantom: Shut up.

cybernerd: Geez, you're touchy.

dPhantom: Yeah, well... I never had these problems with Paulina or Valerie...

cybernerd: Because Valerie was openly smitten and Paulina was so far off she couldn't even hear you, so you didn't have to worry about making an idiot of yourself.

dPhantom: You're a ray of sunshine today. Can you give my ego a break?

cybernerd: If you can answer me one very important question.

dPhantom: What?

cybernerd: What do you see in Sam? I mean, if you really like her, you can tell me why she's so important, right?

dPhantom: What kind of question is that? There's plenty to like about her...

cybernerd: Like?

dPhantom: Well, she's smart and beautiful and funny and loving and caring and fun and she has a great sense of humor...

cybernerd: Sam? Beautiful?!?

dPhantom: Yes...

cybernerd: lskjpgesghslkrgwirgrgwrh

dPhantom: ...?

cybernerd: Sorry. I fell over on my keyboard I was laughing so hard.

dPhantom: Oh, ha ha...

_darkprincess_ has joined the chat

darkprincess: Hey guys.

dPhantom: Hey, Sam.

cybernerd: Hey, we were having an interesting conversation!

darkprincess: Sorry. Carry on; I won't stop you.

dPhantom: Actually, we just finished. Right, Tucker?

cybernerd: I still had things to add.

dPhantom: No you don't, or I'll chuck your PDA in my toilet.

cybernerd: GASP! How'd you get the PDA? You monster!

dPhantom: cackle

_cybernerd_ has signed off

darkprincess: Am I interrupting?

dPhantom: Nope. How's things?

darkprincess: Okay. Actually, I was wondering if you could give me some advice...

dPhantom: Yeah?

darkprincess: This guy keeps asking me to the dance on the dating site. Should I accept? He seems okay, if a little overenthusiastic...

dPhantom: ... You should figure that out for yourself. I'm no good with boy stuff.

darkprincess: True. Okay, thanks anyway. Ack... gotta go. Mom's found a spider.

dPhantom: Oh, no, not Reginald!

darkprincess: lol! Talk to you later, Danny.

Danny sighed as Sam logged off, then typed in the address to the dating site. After signing in, he opened his latest message from Sam and read it.

"Dear Ace,

Thanks for the more detailed message, but I just don't know. My last experience with this dating service thing was... disappointing, to say the least. Like you noticed, Night hasn't been around in a long time, and hopefully he won't come back. I can thank my friend Danny for that. I guess I've just lost all interest in the idea of blind dating. Maybe I can find a boyfriend on my own, or just go with whoever my parents scrounge up. Can't be too bad, huh? ... What am I thinking? Of course it can! Sigh... Anyway, I'll think about it, but... I'm still not sure. I don't even know who you are; I can tell you right now, if you turn out to be someone like Dash, you can forget it. Sincerely, Sam."

Danny sighed. It was a start. He hurriedly wrote back, choosing his words very carefully.

* * *

Yessss... The seventh chapter. Honestly, I didn't expect this fanfiction to even get this far for a while there. I was so confused... Blah. Ever hit one of those artistic snags that catch you and refuse to let go? Well, I hit two- drawing and writing. Usually I can do one or the other, but I had an extra-hard comission... So, yeah. Please review! Thanks! 


	8. Chapter 8

_**The Dance**_

**Realizations**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, _Danny Phantom_

Sam sighed, throwing her backpack onto the floor by her desk as she stomped into her room. It was the last week before the dance, and, as usual, boys were running around school chasing after Paulina to ask her to go with them. So far she was keeping her options open, but until she decided, there'd be no guys for anyone else. Valerie was already complaining, even though the two were more or less friends.

Thankfully, Sam didn't have to worry about things like that; she was beginning to consider pretending she was mortally ill in order to avoid the dance. She was sure that Tucker or Danny would agree to go with her, but Tucker was fawning after Paulina with the others, and Danny... Sam's stomach lurched at the though of asking him. Sure, he was her friend- her best friend- but asking him to do that would be worse than asking Tucker to give up his quest for Paulina. Danny was nice, and he had been a lot more attentive to her lately than he had before, but... Sam sighed. Danny was Danny was Danny. Sam couldn't ask him to go to the dance with her; she wanted it too badly. Lately he'd been all she could think about, and she just knew that if he agreed she'd question his reasons. After all, if he only agreed to go with her as a friendly favor, she'd rather not go at all. But on the other hand, he could like her in the way she liked him, and then Sam would be glad she'd asked him.

But she'd question it until it drove her insane or she knew the answer. And she had a feeling that she really didn't want to know the answer.

Grumbling inwardly, Sam sat down at her computer, turning it on and pulling her math notebook out of her bag as she waited for the computer to load. Idly flipping the pages to her homework assignment, Sam grabbed a bag of potato chips out of her desk drawer and opened it, tossing a chip into her mouth and munching on it. Eyeing the assignment dubiously, Sam went to work on it, listening to the soft humming of the computer cooling units. Between problems, Sam returned to her computer, getting online and typing in the address to the matchmaking site. As loathe as she was to admit it, Ace had completely caught her off guard with his last message, and she was anxious to see what he'd say in response to her reply. By the time she had finished with her homework, she was at her Interest Inbox, staring at the new message from Ace. Nervously, she clicked on it to open it.

_Dear Sam,_ she read, _I'm sorry things didn't work out with Night. It's his loss, of course. I'm sure he regrets hurting you now. I'm glad you had Danny to protect you; he's lucky to have a friend like you to protect. I'm also very sorry that your first experience with online blind dating was so very disappointing. Trust me, not all guys are jerks. I'm not... Or, at least, I don't think I am. But I'd never hurt you like he did. I'm sorry I can't be more forward with you... I'm just scared, I guess. I suppose that I'm scared you'll reject me outright if I tell you how I feel in person, so I want to see if you'll actually have feelings for me. I'm not really much of an "always get the girl" type, so... Well, I'm nervous. I've only ever had a single girlfriend, and she's nothing like you. Well... anyway... I hope you don't settle for whoever your parents come up with. They're so different from you... You'd probably regret it for a long time. And you deserve better than they could do for you. Besides... I'm fairly certain that your parents would never think to choose me, and right now my short-term goal is still to convince you to go to the dance with me. And no, I'm nothing like Dash. I can't stand him. I'd say I hate him, but honestly, where does that get me? But I do severely dislike him. Reply soon... Love, Ace._

Sam sat back in her desk chair, frowning slightly. With a soft sigh, she ran her fingers through her short black hair, thinking. Finally, she typed up a reply and sent it. Then she crawled into bed, deciding that it was time for a nap.

* * *

Danny groaned, shifting the weight of the television so that he could get a better grip. Grumbling under his breath as he continued to carry the huge device up the stairs, Danny glared at his father's back. It was six o'clock in the morning, which was apparently the _perfect_ time for Mr. Fenton to exchange the living room television with the television in Danny's parents' room. Danny would have been okay with the plan, except that Mr. Fenton's idea of exchanging the televisions ultimately meant Danny exchanging the televisions while his father carried a huge, sickeningly scrumptious-looking sandwich up the stairs. Danny sighed as they finally reached the room, and he dumped the television onto the stand where the other television had sat.

Irritably, Danny made his way to his room to grab his shower things. In passing, he turned on the computer, then picked out his clothes for the day and a towel. With a tired sigh, he sat at his computer desk, logging onto his instant messenger and checking to see if anyone was on. Seeing that no one was, Danny headed off to the bathroom, grumbling about early risers and the root of all evil, leaving the messenger up.

Sam logged onto the computer with a yawn. It was very early for her, but she simply couldn't sleep. She checked her Interest Inbox, but it was empty. Just as she was about to disconnect, she noticed that Danny was logged into the instant messenger. She'd been so preoccupied with Ace that she'd forgotten to see if anyone was on.

darkprincess: Danny? Good morning.

darkprincess: ... Danny?

darkprincess: I guess you're busy... Can you do me a favor? I really need to talk to someone... it's really important... I'm kinda confused... Just message me when you can.

Sam sighed, getting up and pacing her room. About half an hour later, she heard the tell-tale _ding!_ of an instant message. Hurriedly she went back to the computer.

dPhantom: Sam? You okay?

darkprincess: Yeah... No... I don't know.

dPhantom: What's wrong?

darkprincess: That guy... Ace... He sounds really cool, but... I'm scared. He wants me to go to the dance with him, and it sounds like we might get along, but... I don't want to be stuck with someone that scares me, like Night. What if he's just like him? What if he tries to hurt me again?

dPhantom: If anyone tried to hurt you again, I'd stop them. You know that.

darkprincess: Would you follow us all night?

dPhantom: ... I couldn't, Sam. I'm sorry.

darkprincess: Oh... okay. Well... Maybe I'll just go with someone else... I think my parents are leaning toward Guy Jefferson, and he's easy to ditch...

dPhantom: So you wouldn't go with Ace if I couldn't follow you the whole night?

darkprincesss: No. You're the only one I can trust to save me.

dPhantom: ... Because of Danny Phantom, right?

darkprincess? What are you talking about? You've just always been there for me.

dPhantom: Okay.

darkprincess: So who are you going with?

dPhantom: I don't know. I've asked a really great girl, but her answer's pending.

darkprincess: Stupid girl.

dPhantom: No, she's just... scared.

_dPhantom_ has signed off

Danny groaned, rubbing his face. Little rivulets of water trailed down his bare chest; as soon as he'd seen Sam's messages he'd sat down and started messaging back. He leaned back in his desk chair, letting out a long breath. He had told her. If she'd only go back and reread the whole conversation, she'd know. Of course, she probably wouldn't. And he was back at square one. He couldn't follow her the whole night if he was with her, and he couldn't lie and say he would. That would imply that the date would be someone else, and he was sort of hoping she'd figure it out. But no, she has to go with someone else... Danny sighed, then pulled his shirt on, towel-drying his hair with an undeniable vehemence.

* * *

"Maybe he was just really upset about something," Tucker said skittishly. Sam raised her eyebrows at him.

"Upset?" She asked doubtfully. "About what? The boy has no problems!"

Tucker scowled at Sam, stopping mid-step in the hallway. Ignoring the elbows in the side and comments of obstruction of traffic, Tucker stood staring at the girl. "No problems?" He asked dubiously. "Sam, he's the Half-A! He catches crap from all sides about that! Even his _parents_ want his alter-ego gone, and he deals with that every day! Then there's the thing with Night- imagine how he feels! He had to throw that canister into the ocean, and if someone finds and opens it, Night will come back for revenge! And then there's this stupid Ace thing-" Tucker suddenly cut himself off and started walking again.

Sam glared after him, then set off at a brisk walk to her first-period class.

* * *

"I know I was too short with her," Danny sighed, putting a couple of textbooks into the locker and pulling out a binder between classes. "I just couldn't help it... This is all just blowing up in my face. I can't tell her how I feel about her as Danny, and I'm getting nowhere as Ace! I'm too confused... And the dance is just tomorrow. At this rate she'll be settling for Guy Jefferson." Tucker gave a repulsive shudder.

"Well, look at it this way," Tucker said bracingly as the two started toward their fourth period class, "At least you know she doesn't feel attracted to someone else. It's one thing to lose a girl because you're a coward, but it's another to lose her because she doesn't want you."

"I am not a coward!" Danny fumed. "I just think she's been in the friend situation too long to see me in that light."

"Well, you'd better hope you're wrong," Tucker muttered as they took their seats, "because if that's true, you're stuck. No amount of romantic atmosphere, such as the dance, will convince her to love you as more than a friend if that's all you are to her."

Danny just grunted.

That night Danny sat staring at his computer. He hadn't turned it on at all since that morning. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was already midnight. Tomorrow was the dance. Sam had probably replied to Ace's last message. He didn't want to read it. Tucker had a point. No amount of telling her how he felt would convince her that she loved him. With a sigh, Danny left the desk and went to bed.

* * *

Sam bit her nails, seeing that Ace had not replied. She sighed, sitting back in her desk chair as she thought about the mysterious admirer. He still hadn't opened invitations for other girls, yet... _Oh, no,_ Sam thought frantically. _Was my last message too much? What if I scared him off? Boys are so fragile and fickle... Danny would never be so-_ Suddenly she stopped herself, frowning at the direction of her thoughts.

* * *

Ahh, yes... Another update. The next one will be uploaded to you in a few minutes; I meant to do this one the other night, but it's been... Well... one of _those_ weeks. Those weeks where you just want to curl up in the corner of a dark room and forget the world. And very sick grandparents. And fires. Well, thanks for reading! Ciao! 


	9. Chapter 9

_**The Dance**_

**The Truth Comes Out**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, _Danny Phantom_

It was the day of the dance. Danny's stomach did nervous flip-flops as he walked to the front steps of the school. He could see Tucker and Sam at the top of the stairs, apparently immersed in deep conversation. Danny stopped to stare nervously at Sam, who was looking in the other direction. Her black hair glistened slightly in the early morning sunlight, and as he watched she reached up to tuck a loose strand behind her ear. She looked almost as nervous as Danny felt, and Danny noticed that Tucker had an odd sort of smug expression on his face.

Taking a deep breath, Danny walked up the stairs, reaching the two far sooner than he'd wanted. Tucker waved idly at him, but Sam did something strange. She blushed, then looked away and said hello very softly.

"I've got to go, guys," she said suddenly. "I need to help Amber with something." And she scampered off.

"What's up with her?" Danny asked Tucker with an arched eyebrow. Tucker laughed shortly.

"You know what?" He asked in reply. "I think you two are completely nuts. Bonkers. Mad as hatters. I'll talk to you later, Danny; I've got to get to class." Danny stared after Tucker, bewildered.

Turning with a sigh, he went to his locker and opened it, grabbing the textbook and binder he needed for his first class. On his way to said class, Danny overheard a couple girls chattering in the hall.

"... Yeah, and then Matthew asked me out! It's crazy, isn't it?" The blonde one laughed. "It's like all the boys are going mad, trying to get dates for this dance!" The second girl, a beautifully tan brunette, giggled along with her.

"I know!" She said excitedly. "I've never gotten so many invites in one week! Let's see, there was Max, and Ian, and Michael, and Stuart, and Ashton... And you'll never guess who asked me yesterday!"

"Who?" Asked the blonde, staring at the brunette in wide-eyed anticipation.

"Dash!" The brunette replied with an air of superiority. "It seems that he and Paulina are fighting again, and the other girls have dates!"

"No way!" The blonde exclaimed. "Are you going with him? It would be sooo cool if you went with him! Then you and Dash can meet up with me and whichever lucky guy I choose, and then we can all hook up with Dash's friends! Fifteen minutes of fame is okay, but the dance lasts for three hours!" The two conniving girls giggled as they entered their classroom, leaving Danny fuming.

_These stupid superficial girls_, he thought angrily, stomping off to his own class. _Sam's nothing like this! And I'm nothing like Dash! Taking any old girl just because the one he wants isn't available to him... _Suddenly Danny's thoughts took an unpleasant turn. _Wait... _he hedged, _what if that's kind of like... not going with anyone... just because you _think_ the one you want is unavailable... Oh, _man

Danny sighed, smacking himself in the forehead. _I'm _such

* * *

Sam sat at the lunch table, frowning down at her self-made veggie burger with a groan. It had been a hard day at school so far, and her Danny situation was only serving to distract her. Sam pushed her food away, resting her forehead on the sun-warmed wood of the table, closing her eyes. Idly she listened to the chatter of the people around her, though she was trying to forget them. Focusing on her breathing, Sam shut it all out, giving herself a break from reality... A face swam up out of the darkness, a beautiful face with a sweet smile... Sam grinned softly to herself as she looked at her mental picture of Danny, all happy and kind-

_THUD! _Sam jerked up, yanked unmercifully from her calm. Tucker smiled obnoxiously at her from across the table. Sam growled at him, pulling her food back to her and biting into her burger with a vengeance. He frowned slightly.

"Sam, you okay?" Tucker asked worriedly. "You look like you'd eat me, if you were an omnivore like the rest of us." Sam glared at him.

"I was thinking," she grumbled, looking away from Tucker as a knowing grin spread over his face.

"Ohhhh," he replied, trying (and failing) to cover his smile. "I'm sorry- I didn't mean to interrupt your romantic fantasies of Danny." Sam kicked him under the table as Danny himself walked up.

"Hey, guys," he said tiredly, plopping onto the bench beside Sam. "Rough day, huh?"

Sam nodded in agreement, but Tucker merely shrugged. Danny laid on the table, pressing his cheek to the smooth wood and closing his eyes. Sam softly poked him, fighting back a blush.

"Danny, what happened?" She asked, trying to sound normal. Tucker rolled his eyes.

"Nothing in particular," Danny replied, sitting up and rubbing his face. "It's just... I just... It's this dance," he blurted.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" She asked, wondering why her heart was beating so erratically.

"Yeah," Danny mumbled. "I overheard these two... _stupid_ girls earlier... Talking about all the boys who'd asked them, and the most popular ones that they might go with... It was so stupid... And fickle... And I keep thinking about the girl I want to ask, and I know she'd never be so terrible to a guy... And how much of a chicken I am for not asking her, because I'm scared..."

Sam rolled her eyes now, though her heart felt as though it had bottomed out. "Look, Danny," she said calmly, "I know Paulina's nice and everything, but I still think she'll turn you down... She's going with that new guy, Sean..."

Danny refused to meet Sam's eyes. "I know... I wasn't thinking of... of Paulina... I want to ask someone... else..."

Sam was dumbstruck. Not Paulina? "Valerie?" Sam aked, confused. "I thought you were over her..."

Danny glanced at Sam before replying. "No, not Valerie."

"Oh..." Sam said, frowning in bewilderment. She tried to stop her heart from popping right out of her chest. "Then... who?"

Danny glanced at Tucker, who snickered. "Oh, I'm, uh, late for... for... a meeting with the... um... with... the principal!" Tucker said, abruptly standing up and walking away. He glanced over his shoulder to grin at Danny before heading into the school building.

"Sam," Danny began, looking at the table, "I actually would like to ask... to ask, uh... I want to ask someone else... Someone... special... But... I'm scared... That she'll think of me only as a friend, and not... A date-able guy. Someone that understands me the best... And..." Danny swallowed hard and forced himself to look at Sam.

"Danny..." Sam murmured. "Are... are you telling me you've got a secret girlfriend?" Sam's joke came out feebly. She was far too busy trying to calm her heart to think too much about what she was saying.

Danny chuckled nevertheless. "No, Sam," he replied, steely determination lighting in his eyes. "Sam, would... would you like to go to the dance? With... me?"

Sam choked. "Me?" She squeaked. "You wanted to ask... me?"

Danny nodded nervously, butterflies eating at his stomach. "Yes," he replied. "I did. I want to go to the dance with you. I'm... I'm Ace, Sam."

Sam nearly fainted. "You're Ace?" She asked incredulously. "You mean... you're the one who...? Oh, my..." Sam looked at her hands. "Now I'm very embarrassed..."

Danny frowned. "What do you mean?" He asked. "Why?"

Sam glanced shyly up at him through her eyelashes, her cheeks steadily growing warmer. "My last message... When I told you I'd go with you... Is that why you asked me in person?"

Danny shrugged. "No," he replied. "Honestly, I haven't checked the service since my last message. I just realized that I can't hide behind aliases... If you couldn't see me as more than a friend, then I couldn't make you." Sam nodded, still shocked. "Well..." Danny said, fidgeting, "will you? Go with me?"

Sam looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Yes," she whispered. "I'd love to go with you, Danny!" Danny smiled at her, a strong feeling of triumph spreading through him.

Suddenly he reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to him in a warm hug.

"Eek!" Sam exclaimed, finding herself somewhat crushed against him. After a moment, however, she began to relax, and wrapped her arms around him. When the two sat back, they were both blushing, yet smiling.

"So, I'll pick you up at seven forty-five?" Danny asked shyly. Sam nodded, grinning. Just then the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. After quick farewells, Danny and Sam went off to their separate classes.

* * *

Mrs. Manson walked into her daughter's room at six o'clock that evening to find the floor strewn with clothes. A constant stream of even more clothes and irritable muttering came from the closet.

"Sam?" Mrs. Manson asked, peering into the closet while trying to avoid the articles of clothing soaring through the air. The stream of clothing stopped, and Sam came out of her closet to sit in her computer chair, pushing three shirts and a skirt onto the floor. She looked utterly dejected, making Mrs. Manson wonder...

"Sam, dear," she murmured, placing a tiny hand on her daughter's back, "You didn't get a date, did you?" Sam rolled her eyes at her mother.

"Yes, Mom, I actually did," she replied, scuffing one black-booted toe against the carpet. "I got a wonderful date. I just... I don't... I can't find anything to wear!" Mrs. Manson stared, shocked, at her daughter, then burst out laughing. "Mom!" Sam cried. "This isn't funny!"

"No, it's not," her mother agreed, using a dainty white handkerchief to wipe the tears from her eyes. "It's just that I'm so happy! I can finally help you with something!"

Sam looked up at her mother. "You can?" Sam asked dubiously. "But... we have different tastes, Mom... And it's a costume dance..."

Mrs. Manson looked down her nose at Sam, arching one perfectly plucked eyebrow. "So?" She asked. "Whether I like it or not, I know what you like, and all I have to do is show you what will look good on you. You don't have to be my replica for me to know what you prefer, Sam." Sam grinned.

"Okay, then," she said impishly. "Show me what I'll look good in!"

* * *

Here we are- the next-to-last chapter! What happens next? Dun-dun-duuuun! Snicker, I'm hyper. Anyway, please finish! Thanks for reading, as always! 


	10. Chapter 10

_**The Dance**_

**The Dance**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, _Danny Phantom_

Danny looked at himself in the mirror. This was a bad idea. What if someone noticed the similarities? Doubtless, many others would be dressed as Danny Phantom, but Danny actually _was_ Danny Phantom. True, he'd used a costume instead of transforming, but that was hardly the point. He had used a temporary dye in his hair, and Jazz had managed to find a black spandex shirt and pant suit that looked fairly similar to what Danny Phantom wore. She had also sewn the _D_ onto his shirt, and Danny had found some white boots in his dad's old eighties clothes. The effect was rather laughable, but he was still worried about being recognized.

"Danny?" Jazz asked, poking her head into his room. She looked him over and smiled. "It's perfect," she announced, walking over to him to take a closer inspection. "The costume looks close enough that everyone will know who you're supposed to be, but it's imperfect enough to keep your secret... well... secret." Jazz beamed at Danny in the mirror.

"I feel like an idiot," Danny mumbled. "I don't look anything like Danny Phantom. The ghosts would laugh themselves into their after-afterlife if they saw me now."

Jazz chuckled. "Come on, Danny," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Your ghostly princess awaits, and Mom will never let you drive her car again." Danny forced a wan smile, wondering why the butterflies had suddenly disappeared at the mention of Sam.

* * *

Danny nervously walked up to Sam's door, as he had so many times before, and rang the doorbell. Slowly Sam's mother opened the door, and Danny smiled nervously at her. To his surprise, Mrs. Manson smiled back warmly, welcoming him into the house.

"I'm sorry, Danny," she said cheerfully, "Sam's still working on getting ready. She should be down soon, though. Would you like you wait with me in the living room?" Danny nodded, relief seeping through him. He'd been worried about Sam's parents' reactions to him taking Sam to the dance. He was certain that he hadn't made it onto the "Acceptable to Date Our Daughter" list, but they didn't seem to be hostile toward him.

"Ah, Danny," said Mr. Manson, looking up from the evening paper as Danny and Sam's mother entered the living room. "It's good to see you. Why don't you come over here and have a quick chat with me?" Danny suddenly felt nauseous.

Sitting gingerly on the couch beside Mrs. Manson, Danny looked at Mr. Manson expectantly.

"You see, Danny," he began, straightening the paper on his lap, "Sam is my only daughter. My only child, for that matter. And I treasure her more than any priceless gem, any expensive work of art that I have acquired over the years. This whole house," he gestured broadly at the vast living room, with its ornate fireplace and elaborate furnishings, "is nothing without my family. It would be nothing more than a cold crypt, if you will. And with that in mind, I must warn you, Danny Fenton," at this Mr. Manson leaned forward to stare intensely at Danny, "that if anything should happen to my daughter, you will pay as accordingly as I see fit." For a moment, Danny was terrified of this man, small and generally unthreatening though he was.

And then the frightening glint in the man's eye was gone, and he was smiling again. "And with that said, Danny, I'd just like to let you know that I approve entirely of this match."

Danny was stunned. "W-what?" He asked, eyes wide. "You don't mind me dating your daughter?" Mr. and Mrs. Manson looked at Danny in confusion.

"Of course not," Mr. Manson replied with a slight frown. "We didn't like that Night fellow. We're quite glad to be rid of him. But we've been harboring hopes of you asking Sam out for a while now." Danny could only stare at them in bewilderment.

"Danny, you're a good kid," Mrs. Manson said, smiling softly as she placed a dainty hand on his forearm. "You're a little rough around the edges, but you make Sam happy, and that's what counts. Besides, we've had a while to get used to the idea- Sam's liked you for ages."

"She has?" Danny asked, his mind whirling with the speed of a vicious tornado.

Mrs. Manson laughed. "Maybe neither of you noticed, but we certainly did. We're happy that it finally worked out between you." Danny smiled uncertainly, though he was elated at their words.

"Mom?" Sam asked, poking her head around the doorway. "Can you come help me with something?" Mrs. Manson smiled and nodded, walking out of the room to her daughter. Danny was content to sit in silence with Mr. Manson, thinking about what they'd said.

After a few minutes, Mrs. Manson walked back into the living room, smiling widely. "Sam's ready now, Danny," she said, stepping away from the doorway.

Sam walked through after her, and Danny's breath caught. They had decided to create a new character for her, sort of a female version of Danny Phantom. She had named herself Phantom Princess, and she was simply beautiful. She wore a tight-fitting long-sleeved shirt that tapered to points on the backs of her hands. It had two spiderweb-thin _D_s intertwined in the center of her chest. She wore a short black skirt with a wide white hem over her tight-fitting pants, and white knee-high lace-up boots. She had changed her usual purple makeup to black and white, and let her hair down out of its half ponytail. She had also used temporary dye to put a white streak in her hair. She smiled tentatively at Danny, and he had to remind himself to breathe.

"Sam, you look... beautiful," he murmured, momentarily forgetting that her parents were still in the room. Sam giggled, a sweet blush spreading over her cheeks.

"Thanks," she said, "You look great, too. Ready to go?" Danny nodded, and they left, though they had to suffer through a few dozen pictures first. Sam's parents were very ecstatic about her going on her first "dance date."

* * *

"Hey, you two look great!" Tucker exclaimed with a big grin when he saw them. "The Phantoms! Not exactly a very unique idea, but it works for you." Danny grinned, looking around. The majority of the students there were either Danny Phantoms or female spinoffs of him. He did spy a couple of the more traditional costumes, such as pirates, fairies, and princesses, but they were few and far between. Tucker himself had opted for the individual path, dressed in an unnervingly accurate costume as Night.

Sam gave his costume an appraising once-over. "Nice costume, Tuck," she said with an impish smile.

"Thanks," Tucker replied, grinning.

"You're missing something, though," Sam said in a serious tone. Tucker frowned, looking down.

"What?" He asked in confusion. "I thought I had it down perfectly."

"Charm and mystique," Sam replied with a laugh. Danny chuckled, too, and the couple left a gape-mouthed Tucker to join the rest of their school on the dance floor.

"I'm surprised his costume didn't freak you out," Danny admitted as he spun Sam across the gym. "It is remarkably correct."

Sam shrugged, dancing along with the tempo of the upbeat song she'd probably never listen to otherwise. "It did surprise me, but it's okay," she replied with a small smile. "You saved me from him once, you could probably do it again." Danny smiled, fighting the urge to duck his head and stutter.

"You saved yourself, Sam," he replied firmly instead. "You got him into the canister when I faltered. If you hadn't been so quick-witted..." Danny sighed and closed his eyes. He'd been going over that possibility over and over in his mind, wondering what would have happened if Sam hadn't been able to get the canister, or if Night had been faster than her...

A soft hand pressed against his cheek, and Danny opened his eyes to look into Sam's sweet face. She was looking at him worriedly. Danny tried to force a smile, but failed.

"Danny..." Sam said softly. "It's okay. I'm fine, and Night's gone. And I'm with you. I don't want to be anywhere else. It's not your fault that you got so tired... I did, too, after fighting him. Please don't be upset." Danny searched her face, looking for signs that she believed her own words. What he found reassured him. Danny smiled shakily at Sam with another sigh. He put his hand against hers on his cheek, leaning into her touch.

"Thank you, Sam," he murmured. "That means a lot more to me than you know." Sam smiled in reply.

Suddenly the lights dimmed and the music slowed, taking on more of a dreamy quality. Danny swallowed a lump in his throat; this was the one thing he'd been most nervous about all night: the slow dance.

"Um," he stammered, blushing furiously and looking at the floor.

"Yeah," Sam stuttered, also blushing.

"Oh, please," said Tucker impatiently from a little while away, "you're nervous about a dance?" In truly obnoxious form, Tucker then stalked over, pushed them together, and stalked off, grumbling about asinine friends. Danny blushed more than before, finding himself less than a foot away from Sam.

"I... I don't suppose you'd... l-like to dance... with me?" Danny asked in a small voice. Sam smiled nervously.

"Of course I would, Danny Fenton," she replied, looking up at him through her long eyelashes. Danny smiled and pulled her to him, placing one hand on her waist as he took her hand in his other one. She placed her free hand on his shoulder.

"I've never really danced with anyone like this before, so I'm probably really clumsy," Danny admitted embarrassedly.

Sam smiled softly. "That's okay," she replied simply. "I haven't, either." Danny smiled back at her and pulled her closer.

Sam blinked in surprise, then rested her head against his shoulder as they swayed to the soft music. Regardless of their inexperience, the two were perfectly content, and even somewhat graceful.

_Wow,_ Danny mused silently to himself, gently placing his chin against Sam's hair, _This is one of the best nights of my life. Sam feels so... perfect. I love holding her like this..._

Danny sighed happily, and was rewarded when Sam smiled up at him again. He smiled back down at her, softly rubbing her back with the hand he'd placed on her waist. She giggled.

"That tickles," she admitted, leaning against his chest. Danny smiled, but he stopped rubbing her back. Instead he looked at their intertwined hands, the way they fit together so well. He raised Sam's hand to his lips and kissed it gently, watching her through half-closed eyes. Sam smiled happily in response.

"Sam..." Danny said, looking down at her. "I... Thanks."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "For what?" She asked curiously.

"For everything," Danny replied with a tiny shrug. "For being there with me, even through the Paulina phase. For being there to fight ghosts with me. And... for being with me now, like this. It's... more than I ever dreamed. I can't believe you... that you..."

Sam watched him avidly. "That I...?" Danny couldn't say it. He couldn't speak. Looking at Sam, he was just too scared. "That I... love you?" Sam asked quietly. Danny's eyes widened.

"So... you do?" He asked in shock. Sam smiled nervously.

"Yes," she replied shyly. "I do love you... a lot." Danny gaped at her for a minute, then smiled.

Unable to contain himself, Danny wrapped both arms around Sam and pulled her even closer, leaning down to press his lips against hers. Sam kissed him back ever so softly, her warm lips comfortable against his. Danny pulled back slightly, looking down at her. Sam's eyes were only half-open, and a small, albeit elated, smile touched her lips. Danny smiled and kissed her again, and this time Sam wrapped her arms around him, tangling her fingers in his hair.

* * *

"How was the dance, Danny?" Jazz asked cheerfully from her doorway as her brother passed on the way to his room. "I heard that the deejay they hired was brilliant."

Danny smiled, exhausted but pleased. "Deejay?" He asked mildly. "Oh. Yeah. Great music." Jazz grinned impishly.

"So the Princess of Darkness had your undivided attention all night?" Jazz asked, a knowing smile crossing her flawless features.

Danny blushed, but smiled all the same. "Yeah, she did," he replied dreamily. "You should've seen her, Jazz, she looked so beautiful. Even more beautiful than usual..."

Jazz chuckled. "I'm sorry I missed it. Go to bed, Romeo; Juliet won't be impressed with circles under your eyes when you whisk her away to your castle." Danny snorted, but did as he was told.

Lying in bed, Danny smiled to himself as he thought about how wonderful the night had been. He and Sam had danced all night, even after they felt as though they would pass out. Then Danny had driven Sam home. She had fallen asleep in the passenger seat, and Danny had indulged in just watching her sleep for a few minutes before getting out and carrying her from the car. She had woken up as Danny was climbing her front steps, but instead of insisting that he put her down, Sam had cuddled into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. When they'd reached the door, Danny hadn't wanted to put her down.

_Danny leaned against the door, still holding Sam cradled in his arms. She had yawned softly, tracing soft designs that tickled over his arms. _

_"What are you doing?" Danny had asked with a smile. "It tickles."_

_"You just surprise me, that's all," Sam replied hesitantly. Danny raised an eyebrow at her. "No matter how often I see you prove your strength, I'm always amazed at how strong you truly are. You haven't even complained about my weight." _

_Danny chuckled softly, gently nuzzling Sam's silky hair. "And I won't," he replied. "You have no weight to complain about." Sam laughed._

_"What's it like?" Sam asked softly. "To be Danny Phantom?" Danny looked up at the full moon, a soft smile playing at his lips._

_"It's... wonderful," he replied. "It's like I'm invincible. I'm so much stronger than I used to be... And so much more able to protect my friends and family. It's difficult sometimes, with everyone trying to catch me, but it's worth it. And at least you and Tucker know about it, so it's not some huge secret. And you both accept it, so I have some relief from my parents." Sam smiled._

_"I'm glad I can be there with you while you fight ghosts," she said. "It makes me feel important."_

_"You'll always be important to me, Sam," Danny whispered, leaning down to kiss her again. Sam kissed him back, cupping his cheek in her hand. When they broke apart, she smiled at him._

_"I should go inside," she admitted unwillingly. "My parents will be expecting a full report." Danny laughed, setting her gently on the ground. He kissed her one last time, then watched as she went inside. Then he drove home, smiling the whole way._

Danny sighed happily. _I love her,_ he thought happily to himself. _I love her so much... _And with that thought, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The end! It's finally complete. I really enjoyed writing this one... It was pretty fun. I actually have no desire to finish my Tenchi fanfic now... Which is not good :(. Inspiration is fleeting... Anyway, thanks for reading! Please check out my other fics now! 


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